No, I'm not suggesting that we're becoming less and less enlightened, as we sacrifice our minds to the robots.

Instead, I'm merely indicating that we will soon not be able to see that thing we currently call the sky.

There'll be Jeff Bezos's drones flying around all day, delivering dictionaries and diapers to the distressed. There'll be journalistic drones all around, capturing every aerial detail of multiple car crashes.

And then there'll be the HAV 304 Airlander, which is so large that it will block the view of several planets as it waddles through the heavens.

Indeed, when you look at the promotional video above, it's got massive green credentials, can fly for three weeks, and is a marvelous hybrid of airship, plane, and helicopter.

It's 300 feet long and doesn't need an airport to take off. Yes, if you have a large garden, it can take off from it.

It can land on water, sand, or ice.

Some might be disturbed, though, by its potential uses. Though it can be used to deliver vast amounts of humanitarian aid, I was moved by the words of Hybrid Air Vehicles' technical director, who says in the video: "You can put 7 or 8 tons of surveillance equipment on board."

Honestly, we can never have enough surveillance. What fun to have it being transported in a vehicle the size of Vegas.

Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of metal band Iron Maiden, is one of those involved in this fine project, which has been given 2.5 million British pounds (about $4.2 million) to prepare itself for a maiden flight in the fall.

About the author

Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world.
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